Author: Michael Kirby

The number one tip we can give you (regardless of how much money you have) is NEVER gamble more than you can afford to lose! This seems like such an obvious statement but unfortunately there are some people who don’t heed such warnings.

Let me float this by you right away. When I lose money the lost money has more intense emotions attached to it than when I win that same amount of money. Let us say, for argument’s sake, that I lost $1000 last night, how am I feeling? Correct, I feel rotten to the core; totally miserable, asking myself “what happened?” Now, if I won a $1000? Correct, I’m happy but I won’t be singing and dancing the entire next day.

In short, losses hit us harder than wins. The loss of emotion weighs more than the win emotion – given an equal amount of money being weighed.

When I first thought of this idea I did wonder if I were alone in my feelings. I’m not. I did a little survey of 15 people, some I knew, some I didn’t know, and 12 of them agreed with me that losses had a more powerful impact on them than an equivalent winning experience. The other three felt that both states of being were about emotionally equal.

In my view, I maintain that losses really blast us; while wins were more ephemeral. Perhaps that’s why the daily “news” is generally about bad experiences as opposed to good ones. The headline “Man is love his wife” can’t outmatch “Man hate his wife.”

So then the goal of gambling should be to limit one’s losses or at the very least, the emotional toll of such losses so as to enjoy one’s wins far more. There are two ways to do that, by playing proper strategies and just as important with proper money management techniques.

[Please Note: Money management is not a method for overcoming the house edge. If the game has a negative expectation, money management cannot flip that expectation to favor the amateur or professional gambler. The player can, however, use money management to contain his losses.]

LARGE BANKROLL / SMALL BETS

My mentor the Captain of craps believed that satisfactory gambling can only occur if losses do not eat up one’s gambling bankroll. He posited that a large bankroll must back a casino player’s individual wagers.

If one is betting $10 then having a bankroll of $20 is not sufficient to make one relaxed when a loss occurs; indeed, a two-loss streak ends the player’s chances. His bankroll is busted. Such a wipeout would be devastating.

THE 401G

Actually, let’s take first things first – players must have gambling bankrolls. No player should attempt to play casino games with money necessary for food, housing, medicine and one’s daughter’s college tuition. Never stretch real money.

The gambling bankroll should be a separate account, specifically kept in an interest paying checking or savings account. I call this the 401G account with the “G” standing for gambling.

There are basically two ways to create such an account. If you are fairly well off, you can simply take money from other accounts and create the 401G. Yes, that money was originally intended as an excess cushion for real life but if you know you can harvest it for gambling then do so. But that is it. You will not after this first dip touch your real-life accounts. Instead on a regular basis you will take a small percentage of your income to place in the 401G.

The second method, which will probably be used by most players, is to set aside a small percentage of one’s ongoing income into the 401G. Many people have a 401K or equivalent account where regular deposits are made from their paychecks and the 401G should also have regular deposits. Such deposits will build and maintain the account.

[Please Note: Players want enough money in their 401G so that they never have to worry about losing it all. A bankroll should be constant or go up at any given time. This can be accomplished through patience and discipline.]

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD BE IN A 401G BANKROLL?

Here is my personal horror story: I once lost my entire gambling bankroll. It was almost 30 years ago and I was playing with a small amount put aside to gamble. I lost my head, I bet too much, I went on a complete losing streak and was wiped out.

My wife the Beautiful AP and I stopped by the Captain’s house on our way back from Atlantic City. The moment he saw us he said, “There they are with empty pockets.”

He then told me in no uncertain terms what I had done wrong. It was simple really, I bet way too much for a way too small bankroll in total. Then we worked out what my bankroll should be to bet what I wanted. It took me a year of regular deposits to get the bankroll up to where it needed to be to assure me of never being wiped out again.

In my case (okay, hold your breath) it was five hundred to one. For every dollar I wagered I had to have five hundred dollars in my 401G. If I wanted to be a $10 bettor that would mean I was backed by five thousand dollars sitting comfortably in the account. I was teaching and running a theatre company at the time and I slowly built up the 401G.

Over the years, I have built my 401G to the point where I can be a high roller without fear of winding up on the street should I experience a truly awful negative streak.

Now I think a five hundred to one distance between a single bet and a total bankroll is not farfetched and is reachable by just about anyone interested in being a “safe” gambler. A five-dollar player just needs $2500 to get in the game.

WHAT TO DO WITH WINS

Now, if you are adding to your 401G because of a good series of wins, that’s terrific. You will add the wins to the account and continue to add the percent of your wages to the account.

Let us say you have a five-dollar to $2500 spread between a single bet and the total bankroll and you have now gone up to $5000 in total bankroll? You can double your single bet level or take the extra $2500 and use it to buy something you want.

[Please Note: You never stop putting money in your 401G account. I am assuming that anyone reading this is probably someone who enjoys casino gambling and goes more than once a year. It is important for regular players to keep a consistent pattern in their savings and playing.]

SESSION STAKES AND SAVING MONEY

When we go to casinos we usually don’t play one long session; we break our gambling day into several sessions, maybe morning, afternoon and evening. That is probably the best way to apportion one’s day. I think it is crazy to play endless hours of mesmerizing games – half the time you probably won’t remember what went on during such long hours.

So let us say that you have a $5000 total bankroll and your bet is $10. You are going to spend two days in the casinos. How should you break up your bankroll? Let us assume three sessions a day of between one and two hours on each session.

As a generalization, you should take one-half of your bankroll ($2500) and divide it by six sessions. That comes to a session stake of $416 per session; so let’s make that $400 per session. You do not want to risk your total bankroll on one casino trip. You might be a serious player who goes once a month or even more – you therefore do not want to risk all your money in a single trip. Don’t bring all the money!

Now, I mentioned that you might want to play an hour or two per session, however that can be misleading. What if things are going really well, do you want to leave after an hour or two? What if (horror of horrors) you are getting pummeled? Do you play until you lose everything?

Okay, here is a quick and easy chart to show what to do in given situations and at the end of each session. This is for land-based casinos (cruise ships too). I will delve into Internet casinos after this.

Session One: Bet Level is $10. Session stake is $400. Maximum time of play is two hours.

LOSSES:

One hour or less: If the loss is more than half your session stake, quit the session.

Two hours: If you have any loss whatsoever you quit the session.

WINS:

One hour or less: If you have a win of $200, you put aside $200 of your $400 stake and that is not to be gambled again in this session. You still have $400 with which to play.

One hour or less: If you go up another $100, you take that out of original session stake. You still have $400 with which to play but $300 has now been set aside. With each $100 win, you take that from your original stake. Once you are playing with $400 in wins do not allow yourself to lose more than $200 of those wins.

Two hours: Quit session or take one-third of your wins (assuming wins are substantial!) and play with that money. Anytime you lose half that money, you quit for that session.

At end of session, any money, be it the initial $400, or what’s left over from a loss, or what has been won and the initial stake, goes in the safe and is not to be gambled with again. You safe now contains that session’s money, win, lose or draw – money not to be gambled with anymore.

The above approach should be used for all sessions. Once a trip is completed you take home whatever money is in the safe and put it into your 401G.

[Please Note: Using the above approach to each session will generally mean that you will not lose a session stake and you will be able to come home with some money, if not a win. No real limit is placed on wins but limits are fully placed on losses.]

ONLINE CASINOS MONEY MANAGEMENT

An online casino is either great or awful; whichever they are is totally up to you. With discipline and control, go ahead and have fun, but if you are the rambunctious type in your play then you had better be careful. Casino games have no heart; they are based on math. But you do have a heart and you can easily lose your head and your money if you ever lose control.

So what should be your money management technique on Internet casinos? I would limit myself to one session – at maximum – on a given day. I would also try not to play every day unless you are able to keep adding to your 401G without any strain on your finances. Keeping yourself at a hefty one to 500 spread would be harder if you are betting into that 500 every day without more money going into the account. You can see that to be careful is the watchword here.

WHAT GAMES TO PLAY

It is important that whichever games you choose to play that you use the best strategies. That means making the lowest house-edge bets at those games; even slot machines have better and worse ways to play them. What follows is quick playing advice which together with my money management techniques should be helpful in keeping your head above water. You will find more detailed articles on the various games on this site, make use of them!

Roulette: Best to make your roulette bets on the outside propositions of red/black, high/low, odd/even. You will not have seriously prolonged losing streaks on such bets even though the house edge is the same on these bets as on the inside numbers.

Craps: Pass and come with odds; don’t pass and don’t come with odds. No more than three bets at once and that is if you can make so many bets with your bankroll while playing craps. Never hesitate to make fewer than three bets. Do not make any of the other bets.

Blackjack: Play basic strategy perfectly. Buy a card with the basic strategy on it. Do not play by instinct.

Slots: No progressive games. Use a single credit on all machines – in a future article I will explain why this is the best way to play slots.

So, what exactly is a professional gambler? A professional gambler is a person who lives from gambling and spends most of his time at the casinos. Professional gamblers are actually earning their paychecks by making the right bets when they play at the live casino tables. In this article, I will go over some general misconceptions about casino gaming as well as go over a few real-world examples, gathered from several friends of mine who are professional Advantage Players. We won’t give out real names or when these “adventures” occurred, but rest assured this is about as truthful as an accounting of what real-world play is like.

The gambler lifestyle has been portrayed by Hollywood, and more so, by commercials for casinos, to be a glamorous one. Men are always dressed sharply and women are in their best gowns and, both seem to be having a wonderful time. They are winning money, eating at 5-star restaurants and drinking the best champagne. This is all done to entice the average person to come to the casinos and gamble, but more importantly to lose the maximum amount of money they can. The reality of the casino gaming world is very different.

HOW TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER

The first thing a player must do is forget everything they have ever seen in the movies or have read that portray the life of a professional gambler. Movies like the blockbuster hit 21 and book from which it is based on Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich are strictly for entertainment purposes. Any relation to how things are is distant. The life of any person who has had success in any field has its shares of ups and downs but for some reason authors who write about gaming particularly ones who have not engaged in Advantage Play take a lot of artistic liberty when telling a story.

One of the things that happen when you take up the first level of Advantage Play, card counting, is that you start noticing blackjack players everywhere. On the graveyard shift in Las Vegas casino, you can find a card counter at least one of their tables. These people all have varying levels of skill. Some are strict blackjack basic strategy players with a minimal bet spread while others use all of the adjusted strategy plays and have an aggressive bet spread. Additionally, some use the basic Hi-Lo counting method, while others use the more advanced counting systems. The point is there are several ways to attack casino games and, specifically Blackjack, and the more complex the system is, the less likely the technique will be discovered.

There is a lot of lore that surrounds professional gamblers. Most have a kernel of truth to them but some are without a doubt embellished. One such story revolves around a new player who goes by the name el Gordito. As it goes, Gordito, during his infinite card counting days he was stopped for speeding on his way back to southern California from Las Vegas weekend trip. He told the woman CHP officer that he was in a rush to get home to tell his wife about a sizable win at the blackjack tables. He let it slip that he was a “semipro” blackjack player.

The story continues that the next thing he knew the officer was asking him questions like whether or not it was correct to split a pair of 2s when double after split is allowed. He claims that he got out a deck of cards and, while she held the flashlight, played a few hands on the hood of his car. The part about playing cards on the hood of his car, illuminated by a flashlight seems a bit of a stretch, but I know a few people who know the el Gordito very well, and they believe he was highly capable to talk his way out of the ticket.

Gambling is appealing because of it’s simple to play and most people have a good time with the games. Games can be played just for fun and with minimal losses; but, the vast majority of player’s do not win.

Sometimes when players don’t have good results they question their skills. The reality is Advantage Gaming is a gloomy business when you’re on a losing streak. You begin to speculate about which curve of what fluctuation you were born. But, when you are on the positive side of the spectrum it’s like taking candy from a candy-hating baby. The hard truth is that the mentality of professional Advantage Casino player is that equal to a manic depressant. Most beginning and novice players are either very high or very low. Only most elite professionals can curb their emotional state to the point where it doesn’t affect other aspects of their lives.

The blackjack mathematicians refer to a card counter’s financial journey through good and bad times as a random walk with an upward drift. This definition really only applies to multi-deck shoe games and it does not account for the ups and downs of single-deck blackjack. Single-deck is too often like a sweaty calamitous trip through heaven and hell. The swings are exceptionally dramatic and push the bounds of your own sanity. Overall the casinos give you decent chance to win, and that’s all an Advantage Player can hope for.

The literature on advantage play is filled with techniques and statistical formulas. Most of it is provided by professional players who bet at the black chip level, or from academic gaming scientists. So the information that they share is pretty solid. To be fair some of the claims by some authors are pretty absurd, so be careful what you choose to believe. Another thing worth noting is that the best techniques are usually shared only with a few other top players in only the very top echelons of this elite field.

A common question is; what is it like for the average player? Since many players are only part-time players or gaming hobbyists, it might be interesting to review the playing records and experiences of a serious nonprofessional beginning card counter. A retired player who I will call Wild Bill has generously donated his complete first years’ records as a blackjack player. It should be noted that these records are over 30 years old.

Wild Bill’s Year One

No. Trips: 22

Total Hands Played 18.9K

No. trips won: 13

Hands per hour all decks: 88

Trips win: 59%

Hands per hour single-deck: 83

No. sessions: 311

Hands per hour double-deck: 93

No. sessions won: 162

Total wagered: $245,000

Session win: 52%

Avg. bet: $13

Most sessions won in a row: 9

Win rate single-deck: 0.98%

Most sessions lost in a row: 6

Win rate double-deck: 0.44%

No. sessions single-deck: 177

Win rate overall: 0.78%

No. sessions double-deck: 128

Most hands lost in a row: 8 (twice)*

No. sessions other: 6

Most hands won in a row: 6 (many)*

No. sessions Las Vegas: 226

No. casinos played: 63

No. sessions Laughlin: 77

Casino most played: XXXX (24x)

Longest session: 3 hours

Most trips won in a row: 3

Shortest session: 5 minutes

Most trips lost in a row: 3

Avg. session: 41 minutes

No. times had to sleep in car: 1

Total hours of blackjack: 216

No. of times had to use ATM: 1

Avg. hours of blackjack per day: 8

No. taps on the shoulder: one close call

AN INTERVIEW WITH A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER

I asked Wild Bill what did he learned after his first year of Blackjack play? He responded that he learned two valuable lessons they were: The lesson of Losing and The lesson of Winning.

The lesson of winning is “don’t be too greedy”. Several small wins are just as good as one large win. Even when a game is super good you don’t want too much face time with the pit bosses. Get a win and get out. The standard rule is play as long as the game is good, but I would expand it to play as long as the game is good and you are not getting any attention.

How did you get the nickname Wild Bill? And how does Professional Gambler get a nickname?

“I’ll take the second part first. Gambling nicknames are usually given to you by another professional gambler or potential teammate, usually early on in your playing career. I have been given several nicknames over the years. Sahara Dave and Tuscany Tom are some of the other names I’ve been assigned. The name Wild Bill was given to me by a potential team whom I first met at Wild Bills gambling saloon.”

How about the names Sahara Dave and Tuscany Tom?

“The name Sahara Dave came about through an introduction that was made by a friend of mine with another professional gambler. We talked on the phone briefly and decided to meet at a restaurant on Sahara Ave in Las Vegas. When we first met I told him my name was Dave. After the meeting, I was comfortable enough to tell him ‘Hey my real name is Mike.’ He replied, ‘Sorry, but I’ve already put you in my phone as Sahara Dave.’ So that’s how that name came about. The Tuscany Tom name came about in a similar way. A lot of players get their nicknames in that way.”

How long have you been gambling professionally?

“I have been in gaming for the better part of 40 years. At first, it was just on vacations than on a once a month basis and, eventually, it was every weekend. At that point, I was treating it as a part-time job. I was able to move into the professional gambler occupation in my late 50s. I had saved enough and learned enough over the years that it was very doable so I decided let’s give it a shot.”

As a Professional Gambler which game do you mainly focus on?

“The essence of a professional gambler is to always be looking for opportunities. The classics game that everyone professional gamblers started with is blackjack. That game will always be there, but making money on that game is getting harder and harder every day. This leads a professional gambler to look for new opportunities. Every game is beatable given the right set of circumstances; the player just has to know what to look for. This involves a lot of game scouting, which can be very time-consuming. A player has to think of a way to beat a casino game and then test it via computer simulation, usually, they have to write the computer program themselves and see if it works. This approach involves a lot of studies and a lot of thinking. There are only a few resources that offer these next level insights. The most complete resource is the rare books section at the UNLV library in Las Vegas.

“In general we look for value in our betting, adhere to a solid mathematics strategy and hope for the best. A good professional gambler or rather a good advantage player has a vast tool belt because we know a good game can go away overnight but at the same time we know a new opportunity can easily pop up.”

What does the typical day of a Professional Gambler look like?

“First, there is no typical day for a professional gambler. And it really depends on what game we are attacking. When we do play, a lot relies on blending in with the crowd. So we make an effort to see what conventions are in town and blend in with them. Another case is when we are attacking a 3 card poker game using hole carding methods we may spend a day or two scouting dealer and games and try to gain schedule information from dealers asking them questions like “ You are always working don’t you ever get a day off?” Fortunately for us, dealers volunteer their schedules with minimal effort.”

Where do you gamble? Online or Land-based casinos?

“Everywhere. Being a high-level professional gambler relies on being able to recognize opportunities as they present themselves. You have to remain fluid in your practice, and this relies heavily on critical thinking. Anyone can apply a system the real talent relies on developing the system and of course not getting caught. That being said I travel extensively to casinos all over the world, but mostly in the US as well as using VPNs (virtual remote access points), to get access to an online casino. I do this when I see an opportunity at these online casinos. A lot of the online opportunities rely on sticky bonuses where if you play some amount you get additional funds to play with. Some bonuses are sign up bonuses, so you go where there are opportunities. The internet has a lot of resources where players can evaluate the current opportunities.”

What was your previous occupation, and how do you relate it to the job of a professional Gambler?

“I was trained as an Attorney and did practice for almost 30 years. Relating it to my role as a professional gambler is pretty straightforward. Many people relate professional gamblers to stock traders. And I can see that argument because of the value-seeking and the financial swings that can occur. But I think it has a lot more in common with being a lawyer, especially a defense attorney. Because both have the objective of finding and exploiting loopholes in any given system. That’s why both lawyers and professional gamblers are loathed by establishments.”

How’s the casino gambling landscape evolved over the past few decades and what will it look like for professional gamblers in a decade?

“On one hand over the past 20 years, the environment has gotten a lot harder for professional players. Straight card counting is pretty much an impossible task. Live blackjack games have also gotten a lot harder to beat with the advent of continuous shuffle machines and 8 deck shoes where the dealer cuts two decks off. But on the other hand, the increase in the number of casino games that are offered by casinos gives a lot more opportunity for the astute player. Casinos, in general, are reducing comps dramatically to their players and this also has a negative impact on the professional gamblers bottom line. So over the years, it has gotten progressively worse for the professional gambler.

“In the future, I don’t see this trend changing. A lot of casinos in Las Vegas are charging their guests for parking and this does not make the gambler happy. Comps continue to fall and games get tighter and tighter, so professional gamblers will have to look harder and, think faster than they ever have in the past if they want to continue to make money.”

These Celebrities all love Casino Games! Perhaps it is no coincidence that Las Vegas is located only 277 miles away from Hollywood. The short drive across the desert or one-hour flight via private jet provides easy access to casino tables for celebrities who look as striking on casino surveillance monitors as they do on the big screens where they prefer to be seen.

Not surprisingly, the biggest names are drawn to the hottest casinos. Spots like Bellagio, Wynn, Hard Rock, Venetian and Cosmopolitan all rank as magnets for Tinsel Town VIPs who like to get down. And it’s no wonder that they do.

The best casinos make ordinary people feel like movie stars. When bonafide stars roll in, with their deep pockets and recognizable faces, gambling bosses pay special attention. “Celebs love coming to Vegas because the casinos are very accommodating,” Howard Lefkowitz, president of Vegas.com, told Forbes. “They can have a spectacle or be shielded from the public eye.”

BEN AFFLECK

Sometimes, though, the stars are not quite as appreciated as you would think. Such was the case with Ben Affleck, who learned to count cards and managed to bring down the house at the Hard Rock in Vegas.

Things ended for him in the same way that they end for most any advantage player, famous or not. A casino security guy tapped him on the shoulder and, according to Variety, said, “You’re too good at this game.” If it’s any consolation, he can heed the words of Bill Benter, formerly a card counter and now one of the world’s most successful horse betters. As the legendary gambler once told me, “If the casinos are not chasing you out, you’re doing something wrong.”

That said, Affleck’s back-off must have annoyed at least one group: dealers, pit-boses and cocktail waitresses. During a particularly lucky night at the tables, he managed to rake in $145,000 and showed his appreciation by giving it all away to casino employees.

BRUCE WILLIS

Bruce Willis, on the other hand, seems more than welcome on casino gaming floors. It doesn’t hurt he has reportedly been down some $100,000 at a Palms craps table. That he once snagged $500,000 playing baccarat in Atlantic City seems to bother no one.

Most recently, on the night of the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor fight, Willis, wearing a black leather jacket with a matching tee shirt emblazoned with the words New York City, was rolling the bones at MGM Grand. But that’s nothing new for the man made famous by “Die Hard.” Back in 2003, soon before he blew minds as a mob-burning boxer in “Pulp Fiction,” a fan spotted him at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Willis’s side-gigging band had just finished a set at the second-tier gambling den and he bought in for $5,000 at the craps table. The star ran his stake up to $9,000 and ultimately cashed out for $25,000 – which may be more than his short-lived band received for playing at this small-town joint.

JOHN CUSACK

Another craps lover? John Cusack who’s next appearing as a vengeful white-collar criminal in the movie “Blood Money.” When it comes to casino action, he’s been heard to say, “A hot hand with dice is my idea of heaven. I can’t describe it. Anyone who thinks gambling isn’t for them would instantly change if they caught a winning streak playing craps.”

DEADMAU5

Famous nightclub DJ deadmau5 can surely relate. He embraces the risk of casino gambling and, perhaps, whenever he buys in, the mega-gambler/mega-partier Don Johnson ought to get a cut. “Deadmau5 wasn’t a gambler until he started playing blackjack with me,” Johnson relates “I was in a casino nightclub with Matt Bon Jovi [brother of rocker Jon Bon Jovi]. We went backstage to chat with deadmau5 and kicked around some stuff music-wise. I told [deadmau5] that if he has time after the show, he should join us for blackjack. He said he didn’t play, so I posted up his first few bets and they happened to hit. I gave him a free roll. It’s easy to enjoy blackjack that way.” Considering it all, Johnson remembers, “He wound up having a big night at the table and he’s been playing ever since.”

According to a story in Rolling Stone, deadmau5, these days, has gotten over any qualms about putting his own cash at risk. In describing his post-show activities, the magazine reports him making “a trip to the blackjack table where he was down nearly $100,000 before winning it back in 20 minutes and winning $50,000 more.”

DREW CAREY

Sometimes, when it comes to celebrity gambling, it takes two to tango. TV star Drew Carey and the late “Simpsons” co-creator Sam Simon were hanging out together in Las Vegas. Both of them enjoy gambling and decided to indulge in that pursuit while waiting for lunch at Mandalay Bay (a hamburger for Carey, a veggie burger for Simon). Betting $1,000 a hand as their meals were being prepared, the pair managed to drop $200,000 or so between them. But Carey doesn’t mind gambling alone either – and having fun in the process. One anecdote has him playing blackjack for $500 per hand and trying to double down with a bobble head doll of himself.

CHARLIE SHEEN

That was entertaining, but, for Charlie Sheen, gambling has been anything but the stuff of amusement. During his divorce with Denise Richards, it came out that he was blowing $200,000 a week playing games of chance. En route to the hospital, for the birth of their child, Richards claimed, Sheen placed a call to his bookie to bet on a sporting event. Supposedly, he’s since given up on gambling for good. Maybe, though, he was just approaching it the wrong way. Sheen’s brother Emilio Estevez made the most of his gambling by serving as the big player for the blackjack team run by Rob Reitzen, one of the most successful gamblers in history.

Of course, though, few things would be more memorable than sitting at a blackjack table with Sheen and hearing him shout his oft voiced “Winning!” every time an ace and picture card came his way. Surely that’d earn the star a steak dinner and cement his status as a Sin City legend.

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Bet on England to win the World Cup? are we getting carried away here or is this a real possibility this time? It's easy to get carried away being an England fan, lets face it, we always do it.. we can't help ourselves!

That being said, this tournament has some notable differences from previous England disappointments. For starters, expectation levels are lower than they have been for a long, long time. We have a squad of young players who have never experienced those World Cup disappointments.

Gareth Southgate has instilled a philosophy that this squad has bought into, the nation has too. The system including the back three and pacy attacking midfielders has made us a real threat to any opposition we face. We shouldn't fear any nation!.

Poland vs Senegal

19/06/2018

Tips for Poland vs Senegal

The Bet King's Analysis

Senegal have a knack of hurting the big boys and will feel confident that they can upset Poland today. It should be a close one but the difference between the two sides should be Poland's talisman Robert Lewandowski.

Colombia vs Japan

19/06/2018

Tips for Colombia vs Japan

The Bet King's Analysis

Colombia should be too strong for the Japanese here today. Former Man Utd and Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao has seen a resurgence in form and looks to have put his injury nightmares behind him heading to Russia.

Tunisia vs England

18/06/2018

Tips for Tunisia vs England

The Bet King's Analysis

England kick-off their campaign with a tricky tie against a resilient Tunisian side who have looked good in qualifying. An early goal for England would make all the difference here otherwise it could be a frustrating evening. I think England will win but not by a huge margin, 2-0 looks like a good bet for this one!

Belgium vs Panama

18/06/2018

Tips for Belgium vs Panama

The Bet King's Analysis

For a number of years now Belgium have been considered many people's dark-horses. On paper they have an incredible array of talent, but, can they go that extra step as a team and win the World Cup? Its a difficult one too call but for this match they should be way too powerful for the comparative minnows of Panama.

Sweden vs South Korea

18/06/2018

Tips for Sweden vs South Korea

The Bet King's Analysis

It doesn't look like a classic on paper at least, but, both sides have plenty of energy in their squads and this could be one of those games that really gets going. The Swedes have gone with quite an experienced side with Marcus Berg entrusted with firing the goals to get them out of the group.

Germany vs Mexico

17/06/2018

Tips for Germany vs Mexico

The Bet King's Analysis

The reigning champions begin their defence with a potentially tricky tie against a Mexico team who are more than capable of a surprise or two in Russia. It will be interesting to see how Timo Werner adapts to World Cup football after a terrific bundesliga campaign.

Costa Rica vs Serbia

17/06/2018

Tips for Costa Rica vs Serbia

The Bet King's Analysis

The Costa Rican's are no mugs but lets face it, they will have to perform way beyond most peoples expectations to get beyond the group stage. Serbia are functional as ever without having too many star names. They will be looking to Newcastle's Aleksander Mitrovic to fire them to a victory in their opening game here.

Croatia vs Nigeria

16/06/2018

Tips for Croatia vs Nigeria

The Bet King's Analysis

Croatia look like they have a really nice balance of youth and experience going into this tournament. Modric and Rakitic (Real Madrid & Barcelona respectively) offer them a midfield that can compete with any of the big guns. Will it all come together for them in Russia though when it really matters?

Peru vs Denmark

16/06/2018

Tips for Peru vs Denmark

The Bet King's Analysis

Peru V Denmark isn't a fixture that will excite many neutrals but both sides have some very technically gifted youngsters. Peru are managed by former Newcastle United favourite Nobby Solano and will be looking to spring a surprise or two in this, their first Fifa World Cup finals appearance since 1982.

Argentina vs Iceland

16/06/2018

Tips for Argentina vs Iceland

The Bet King's Analysis

The Iceland team go into this competition with nothing to lose. They have made huge strides as a footballing nation and lets not forget what happened to England in the last major tournament. I cant see any major upset today though and with Lionel Messi and co looking to start off with a bang its difficult to see anything other than a comfortable win for Argentina.

France vs Australia

16/06/2018

Tips for France vs Australia

The Bet King's Analysis

France go into this game as huge favourites and will be looking to their superstars such as Antoine Griezmann to fire them to glory at Russia 2018. Its hard to see anything other than a comfortable win for Les Blues here.

Portugal vs Spain

15/06/2018

Tips for Portugal vs Spain

The Bet King's Analysis

The big game of the day is Portugal V Spain with the latter looking to put their managerial dramas of the last few days behind them and establish themselves in this tournament early on. Portugal will look to Cristiano Ronaldo to fire them to the trophy in what will most likely be his last attempt at 33.

Morocco vs Iran

15/06/2018

Tips for Morocco vs Iran

The Bet King's Analysis

Next up its Morocco V Iran in the second game of the day. Both sides are clear outsiders in the tournament and to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages they’ll need some big performances. We cant see this one being a classic, but, you never know in football.

Egypt vs Uruguay

15/06/2018

Tips for Egypt vs Uruguay

The Bet King's Analysis

Day Two kicks-off with Egypt V Uruguay and the South Americans go into this as strong favorites to win. With a forward line of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani they will go into this tournament as the dark horse to watch. Egypt will be looking for a good performance from Mo Salah if they’re to have any real chance of winning here today.

The Swedes go into this match as slight favourites but the South Koreans have shown in previous tournaments that they are more than capable of springing a surprise or two. This is a close one to call and we have it down as a draw.

Bet King prediction: Sweden 1-1 South Korea

Odds: Home 11/10 Draw 41/18 Away 17/5

Its Belgium V Panama in match two and this one is a pretty easy one for anyone to call. Panama, a nation consisting of part-time footballers have done an amazing job in reaching the finals but this is one heck of a baptism of fire. The Belgians have emerged as a real force and have never had a better chance of winning a world cup than this year.

Bet King prediction: Belgium 5-0 Panama

Odds: Home 1/5 Draw 7/1 Away 25/1

England fans, our time is here! The Three Lions kick off their campaign in Russia 2018 with a tricky test against a very resolute Tunisia side. They may be hard to break down so an early goal would be a huge boost here. I dont see a big scoreline but I can see a clean sheet for England who should come through this pretty unscathed and with three vital points.